The goal of our foundation is to provide emotional, spiritual,and financial help through fundraisers and benefits to all cancer patients. They will be able to talk with cancer survivors on our board. We will offer support from diagnosis, during and after treatment. We will apply for grant funds. We will also solicit individuals and businesses for donations. This organization will also seek out sponsors for cancer walk/runs, bake sales, silent auctions, car washes concerts, etc. These funds will be used to help cancer patients with medical bills, prescription co-pays, as well as their daily living expenses. This is needed as many patients who go through intense treatments lose their jobs, or don't have enough paid leave for the duration of treatment. Funds raised will be used to help cancer patients with medical as well as their daily living expenses. This is needed as many patients who go through intense treatments lose their jobs, or don't have enough paid leave for the duration of treatment.Our main goal is to help patients focus on getting better, not worrying about anything else.
My Story
I guess cancer was a word that had scared me since childhood. My dads father passed away from lung cancer before I was born. I was told for the first time last year that he had testicular cancer in his late thirties. That " lung cancer " was probably testicular cancer that moved to the lungs. In 2008, David Hadley, a co-worker, was diagnosed with brain cancer. At the same time, Russell Hughes, one of my wife's friends husbands was given only a few months to live after battling cancer. We would visit Russell every evening at the hospice. On one visit, I seen a woman who I believed to be David Hadley's wife. I approached her and she remembered me. I went to Dave's room and he was sleeping. I talked to him and he mumbled back. The next day both of my friends passed away in the same hospice. I was really upset. This cancer was horrible! I would think " How would I react if I had cancer?" I would find out soon enough. I was diagnosed with Testicular Seminoma/Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in March of 2010. I had been having pains in my lower abdomen off and on for since 2008. I went to a Doctor that had performed emergency surgery on my wife. I thought that I was just getting older and had either a pulled a muscle or maybe had a hernia.There wasn't any unbearable pain. The Doctor examined me and ordered an ultrasound to be safe. I was at work the next day when the Doctor called and wanted me to see a urologist as soon as possible.Even at this time, for some reason cancer never crossed my mind. I can still remember how I felt when the Doctor came in and said the word "Cancer". They say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. Well, I can assure you that I could see my entire life at the moment he uttered that word. After surgery to remove my left testicle, I was told they would call me with the pathology report. Ten days went by and when I called the doctors I felt like I was getting the run around. I was very nervous the day I was visiting the urologist. When he told me I had a very unusual tumor, I was thinking" Is this it?? Am I terminal?" He went on to explain that the normal Testicular cancer is either seminoma or non-seminoma. Well, mine was seminoma with NHL cells. This meant that instead of one round of chemo and a week of radiation, I was going to have 6 rounds of chemo, 4 chemo injections in the spine, and a month of radiation.I was one of the lucky ones who only had one bought of nausea.I never had a fight as rough as this one.I had many people step up to help me, and others who I thought were close never came around. By the time all of this was done, it was October and I was ready to get on with my life. During treatment I had so many strangers help me that I wanted to give back when I was done with treatment. But soon I was back to work, and the normal routines of life took my mind off of what I had been through. I had opened a Face Book account around the time I was going through Chemo. I never really got into that much. One day in late December., I was looking in some old high School yearbooks. I came across a picture of Leticia Estrada. I remembered she always had a big smile on her face that would light up a room. I remembered seeing her at school and at numerous parties. I looked her up on Face Book and something bad seemed to be going on. I found out that she was in the Hospital, she had Leukemia, and the next thing I heard she was in a coma. The morning that I found out she had passed, I had a vivid dream of Leticia. She was standing, looking back at me, and was walking into a brilliant light. After attending her funeral, I finally knew what I had to do. I now had the name for the Non-profit that I had envisioned. I truly believe that we all have a purpose. I can not understand why a beautiful person like Leticia passed at such a young age. I find it strange that our paths would cross in this weird twist of fate. I would hope that she is proud of the efforts I have put forth so far to get this Foundation from a vision to reality.As of August 1, 2011, Letty's Angels of Hope Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt charitable foundation. So far, all my follow up PET scans have been clean. I still get anxious every three months for those scans.I want to be around to help others deal with this life changing ordeal.
Michael S. Rozycki,SR
Me with my Mother-in-Law, Judy Judy, Breast cancer survivor,at the Magnolia, TX Relay for Life in 2011.